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Amy Miles, chief executive of Regal, said: “The combination of our two great companies, Cineworld's tremendous success in the UK, as well as other markets they have entered since, and Cineworld's commitment to maintain a strong presence in the US and Knoxville, provide a global platform positioned for continued growth and innovation.”

Cineworld has 2,049 screens across 221 sites and also owns the Picturehouse Cinemas chain.

Regal Entertainment owns 561 sites and 7,315 screens.

The group has been buoyed this year by blockbusters Dunkirk and Despicable Me 3, as the multiplex chain also opened a string of new sites.

It also anticipates a strong slate of movie releases to help its performance in the coming months, including Paddington 2 and Justice League, and upcoming films Pitch Perfect 3, Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.